Bingo Rules, Laws, & Regulations

Bingo is a form of gambling and as such is regulated by the government until 2005 under The Gaming Act 1968 and since 2005 under The Gambling Act 2005. For those of you interested in this side of the game then the following links may be of some help.

According to the, now archived, Department of Culture website "cash bingo is primarily a commercial activity and is regulated by the Gaming Act 1968". According to UK law, bingo can only take place on licensed and registered premises the bingo players taking part must be on the premises at the time when the gaming takes place. To counter this, many online bingo games open to UK players operate outside of the UK and therefore avoid legislation problems.

UK Gambling Commission

The Gambling Commission is the regulatory body for casinos, bingo clubs and gaming machines. It was set up under the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain. Their website covers useful aspects of the law involving bingo, including obtaining a license and a number of frequently asked questions.

If you're interested in the bingo industry in the UK, then the Bingo Association website is the home of "the trade association of the licensed bingo industry in Great Britain, representing the proprietors of bingo clubs licensed under the Gaming Act 1968". You'll find a wealth of industry information, press releases, facts and figures about bingo and the latest news.

National Bingo Game

In 1986 the National Bingo Game was launched. This new game resulted in changes to bingo legislation in the UK to allow games of multiple bingo to be played. Approximately 500 licensed bingo clubs link up every night of the year, except Christmas Day! Visit National Bingo Game for their latest press releases.

As far as we know there's no industry body to assist players who have a dispute with an online bingo site. Our advice to players is familiarise yourself with the site's terms and conditions, especially regarding bonuses and the pay out of wins. All sites have customer care lines and are usually very helpful if you have a question or issue that needs resolving.